Part of the magic of a Route 66 road trip is that you don’t just drive through history, you get to sleep in it. Arizona has the longest preserved stretch of the Mother Road in the country, and along it sit some of the best-kept vintage motels and grand old hotels anywhere on the route. From concrete teepees to a restored railroad palace, here’s where to stay on Route 66 in Arizona, listed east to west the way most travelers drive it.
Why Stay in a Historic Route 66 Motel?
You can always find a chain hotel off the interstate, but that’s not why people come to Route 66. The vintage motels are the experience: glowing neon signs, mid-century architecture, classic cars in the lot, and family owners who have kept the lights on for generations. Staying in one supports the small towns that fought to keep the road alive. Just set your expectations accordingly, since these places trade modern luxury for character, and book early. With 2026 marking Route 66’s centennial, the most iconic stays fill up fast.
Holbrook: Sleep in a Wigwam
The eastern gateway to Arizona’s Route 66 is home to one of the most photographed motels on the entire highway. The Wigwam Motel, built in 1950 and run by the same family ever since, lets you spend the night inside one of 15 concrete-and-steel teepees, each about 32 feet tall with handmade hickory furniture and a vintage car parked out front. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and is widely said to have inspired Sally’s Cozy Cone Motel in the Pixar film Cars. Book directly with the motel, as the wigwams sell out quickly.
Winslow: A Restored Harvey House and an RV Base
Winslow punches well above its size when it comes to lodging. La Posada Hotel, which opened in 1930, was the last of the Fred Harvey Company’s grand railroad hotels and is considered the masterpiece of architect Mary Colter. After closing for decades and narrowly escaping demolition, it was lovingly restored and now operates as a living museum with gardens, an art collection, and one of the best restaurants on Route 66. It’s the splurge of the trip, and worth it.
Traveling by RV or pulling a trailer? The Meteor Crater RV Park, just off I-40 near Winslow, makes an ideal overnight base, with easy access to Route 66 attractions and to Meteor Crater itself the next morning.
Flagstaff: Historic Downtown Hotels and Mountain Motels
As the largest city on Arizona’s Route 66, Flagstaff offers the widest range of places to stay, plus cool mountain air at 7,000 feet. Downtown is anchored by two beautifully preserved historic hotels: the Hotel Monte Vista, open since 1927 and rumored to be haunted, and the even older Weatherford Hotel. Along the old Route 66 strip you’ll also find a string of restored mid-century motor lodges if you want neon charm with updated rooms. Flagstaff makes a great two-night stop, since it’s also a launch point for the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and the dark skies of the surrounding forest.
Williams: Grand Canyon Gateway Stays
Williams holds a special place in Route 66 history as the last town on the route to be bypassed by the interstate. It’s also home to the Historic Grand Canyon Hotel, established in 1891 and recognized as the oldest hotel in Arizona. For something different, the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel lets you park the car and take the historic train to the South Rim, while the Canyon Motel & RV Park offers the chance to sleep in restored vintage railcars and a caboose. Williams is compact, walkable, and packed with Route 66 atmosphere after dark.
Seligman: Classic Roadside Motels
The birthplace of Historic Route 66 is the place to lean fully into nostalgia. Seligman’s small, family-run motels, including the Supai Motel, the Historic Route 66 Motel, and the Deluxe Inn, deliver exactly the kind of neon-lit, no-frills roadside experience that defined the golden age of the road trip. Several of these properties have been welcoming travelers since the route’s heyday, and a night here puts you steps from the gift shops, diners, and quirky charm that made the town famous.
Kingman: The El Trovatore and the Western Gateway
Approaching the western end of the state, Kingman is your best base for exploring the wild burro town of Oatman, which has little lodging of its own. Kingman’s standout is the El Trovatore Motel, built in 1937 as a service station and expanded into a motor court in 1939. It was one of the first motels in Arizona to offer air-conditioned rooms, and today it’s impossible to miss thanks to its towering neon spire and Hollywood-themed rooms. It’s a fitting, fun finale before you climb into the Black Mountains or cross into California.
Tips for Booking Route 66 Lodging in Arizona
- Reserve early, especially for the Wigwam Motel and La Posada, and especially during the 2026 centennial year.
- Call independent motels directly. Many smaller properties offer better rates by phone than through booking sites, and some aren’t listed online at all.
- Bring realistic expectations. Vintage motels are about character, not spa robes. That’s the whole point.
- Mix it up. Pair a splurge night at a historic hotel with a couple of budget-friendly roadside motels to balance the trip.
- Consider an RV park if you’re touring by RV, since they put you close to the road’s best stops.
Plan Your Stay Around Meteor Crater
Wherever you rest your head, build your Arizona Route 66 itinerary around its can’t-miss centerpiece: Meteor Crater, near Winslow. A mile-wide impact site 50,000 years in the making, with guided rim tours and a hands-on space museum, it’s the perfect midpoint anchor for a multi-day drive. Stay overnight at the Meteor Crater RV Park or nearby in Winslow or Flagstaff, then point the car down the Mother Road and let the neon lead the way.
